FC Road Encroachments: PMC Promises Daily Action as Corporators Allege ‘Hafta’ Nexus Keeps Stalls Coming Back

Pune, 15th November 2026: Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has promised daily follow-up against encroachments on Fergusson College (FC) Road, corporator Nivedita Ekbote said on 14 November. Corporators have alleged that footpath stalls keep returning because enforcement staff take regular payments, or “hafta”, from vendors.

Ekbote said illegal occupation of the road would be acted against strictly, with no leniency, The Free Press Journal reported.

Why FC Road stalls keep coming back

PMC has run several drives on FC Road this year, but stalls and extended shop fronts reappear within days. “Every time we take action against encroachments, they return within a short period,” Ekbote told the paper.

Corporator Ravindra Salegaonkar has alleged that encroachment squads collect regular payments from street vendors, and that the money reaches senior officials. Ekbote said: “If encroachments are supposedly removed every Monday, why do they reappear?” She added that any financial dealings should be investigated.

These are allegations. PMC has not responded to them publicly, and no inquiry has been announced so far.

Earlier, on 5 November, Salegaonkar warned in a video message that if FC Road was not cleared before the next PMC general body meeting, he would sit on the floor of the house on its first day, Navarashtra reported.

Who has asked PMC to act

According to The Free Press Journal, Union Minister of State Murlidhar Mohol recently told the Municipal Commissioner to remove encroachments from front margins, side margins and the road itself, without favouring anyone. Ekbote said local MLA Siddharth Shirole, Mohol and the area’s corporators were united on the demand.

She said she had also spoken to Rishikesh Rawale, Deputy Commissioner of Police for Zone I, about police help where needed. The Commissioner assured corporators that encroachments would not be allowed to continue, she said.

Safety of students on FC Road

Ekbote, who is also a college principal, said she was particularly worried about the safety of girl students who use the area. The newspaper said a recent viral video involving a young woman had added to these concerns, but gave no further details.

FC Road runs past Fergusson College and is a short walk from Modern College, BMCC and several student hostels and PGs in Deccan and Shivajinagar. Crowded footpaths push walkers onto the road, next to buses, autos and two-wheelers.

What happened in the last drive

In September, PMC removed wooden stalls covered with plastic sheets from FC Road footpaths. A PMC official said the fine for encroachment, then ₹5,000, could rise to between ₹10,000 and ₹15,000 for repeat cases, and that inspections would be held daily or every two to three days, The Free Press Journal reported.

Vendors told the paper they would follow the rules if PMC marked legal spots for them. Several said they come back because they have nowhere else to sell. PMC has not announced a vending zone for FC Road.

FC Road is also in the news for food safety this week. The FDA suspended the licences of Vaishali and Rupali on 13 November.

How to report a blocked footpath in Pune

Residents can report encroachments to PMC through its Complaint Care app, helpline and website. Our guide to the PMC Complaint Care app and helpline explains how. A photo with the exact location and time helps the ward office act.

What is still not clear

PMC has not said whether the new daily drive has started, whether the higher fines are being charged, or whether it will look into the payment allegations. It is also not known when the next general body meeting will be held. We will update this story when PMC responds.

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